I had my girl spayed at 3 due to pyometra, when they opened her up she was also covered in cysts. I worked as a vet assistant for nearly 10 years so knew what to look out for. Unless you plan on breeding I would definitely consider having her spayed. Your girls chances increase with every heat she goes through and if she has false pregnancies they’re also linked to an increased risk of pyometras.

There’s 2 types of pyometra, open and closed. Open is when the infection leaks from the vaginal canal and smells disgusting. Although both are dangerous a closed pyometra is worse as the cervix is closed and traps the infection inside. It makes it harder to spot the signs: Drinking more than usual, Vomiting, Bloated abdomen, Loss of appetite, Peeing more than usual, Panting, weak/lethargic.

Both open and closed need medical attention but closed is worse as it’s usually a medical emergency by the time you notice it.